- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Taste of Little Rock to honor Alfred Williams and Elaine Eubank

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:02:10 +0000

The 15th annual Taste of Little Rock will honor Alfred Williams and Elaine Eubank for their lifetime of support to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Set for 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 26, 2018, at the Jack Stephens Center on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus, Taste of Little Rock raises funds for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association Scholarship Fund while introducing guests to some of the best food in the city from the finest restaurants in Little Rock. “We are thrilled to honor Alfred and Elaine for their dedication, passion, and support of students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Andrea Angel, associate vice chancellor for alumni and development. “They have a legacy of giving within their family that has positively impacted hundreds of students at our university. The Alumni Association would not be as strong as it is today without the work of these two devoted alumni.” During their more than 30 years of marriage, the couple has made an incredible impact on the university through their generosity of their time, support, and financial gifts. “I’m most proud of growing scholarships and creating scholarships for students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Williams said. “You can’t improve as a city without higher education.” Eubank graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and Williams in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. While Eubank serves as the president and chief executive officer of , a nonprofit organization that serves children and adults with disabilities, Williams serves as senior vice president and risk consultant for . Williams continues to follow in the footsteps of his father, Grainger Williams, who was devoted to supporting Little Rock Junior College, Little Rock University, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Williams, former chair of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Board, was honored as the 2013 President’s Award honoree, while Eubank received the university’s 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award. As lifetime members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association, Williams and Eubank understand that their contributions in support of higher education are for the greater good of the university and the community. They have recently named the university the beneficiary of their life insurance policy, making them members of the Heritage Society. Because Williams was taught that giving was the right thing to do, he endowed two scholarships, the E. Grainger and Francis Williams scholarship and the Elaine Eubank scholarship, as gifts to honor his parents and his wife. Following suit, Eubank surprised Williams by establishing an endowed scholarship in his name, the Alfred Williams scholarship. Williams’ sister, June, a former second-grade teacher, recently followed in her family’s footsteps to create a scholarship for future teachers. As the first person in her family to graduate from college, Eubank understands the importance of helping students earn a college degree. “Alfred had a traditional college experience, and I was more like one of the families that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock works so hard to help,” Eubank said. “It was more of a stretch for my family to send me to college. I appreciate ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s efforts to make college more accessible for students who otherwise would not be able to attend.” Individual tickets are on sale for $75. Sponsorships are available by contacting Danielle Hendrix at 501-683-7502 or dnhendrix@ualr.edu. “I love Taste of Little Rock. It’s a great way to see a lot of people in a relaxed atmosphere,” Eubank said. “There’s no program. There are hundreds of people to talk to, and you can sample food from so many great restaurants in Little Rock.” To order tickets, contact the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni office at 501-683-7208, email alumni@ualr.edu, or visit the Taste of Little Rock website.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumni keep giving back to the university

Jenny Lambert — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 14:00:42 +0000

Alfred Williams and Elaine Eubank have a special place in their hearts for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. During their more than 30 years of marriage, they’ve witnessed the impact they could have on the university through their gifts of time, support and financial gifts. “I’m a firm believer that the city grows or fails based on how we support higher education,” said Williams, former chair of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Board and 2013 Presidents Award honoree. To further continue their support of higher education and the university, the couple has made ��Vlog��ý Little Rock a beneficiary of their life insurance policy. As lifetime members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association, the couple understands that no matter the amount they contribute, what they choose to give is for the greater good of the university and the community. Because Williams was taught that giving was the right thing to do, he endowed two scholarships, the E. Grainger and Francis Williams scholarship and the Elaine Eubank scholarship, as gifts to honor his parents and his wife. Following suit, Eubank surprised Williams by establishing an endowed scholarship in his name, the Alfred Williams scholarship. “It’s an easy step to make,” Williams said. “When I became more involved with the Alumni Association, I found that even when we gave scholarships, students couldn’t afford the schooling because of books. It just seemed to me like we were just missing out, that I ought to be able to help in a way that gave them something that I didn’t have to struggle for.” Williams and Eubank are content in their decision to name the university the beneficiary of their life insurance policy, which makes them members of the Heritage Society. “It’s nice to know that in some small way, we can help someone else,” said Eubank, who received the university’s 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award. “There are a lot of different ways to make a planned gift. It doesn’t have to be an astronomical amount. Even a small scholarship helps.” As the first person in her family to have the opportunity to attend college, Eubank knows firsthand the importance of financial support in higher education. “I’m the student that I have heard Chancellor Rogerson talk so much about,” Eubank said. “It was a financial stretch for my family to try to send someone to college. The fact that it was an urban university, and I could live with my family while I attended school made it doable. Also, jobs were more readily available in Little Rock than in smaller college towns and I could work full time and go to school full time.” Because she was always shuttling between work and school, Eubank never had time to be socially engaged with the university as an undergraduate student, as opposed to her husband, who was involved in just about everything on campus. “It means a lot to me to be involved with the university now, because I really wasn’t when I was a student here, and that makes the present relationship even more important,” Eubank said. Eubank graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and Williams in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. While Eubank serves as the president and chief executive officer of , a nonprofit organization that serves children and adults with disabilities, Williams serves as senior vice president and risk consultant for . He continues to follow in the footsteps of his father, Grainger Williams, who was devoted to supporting Little Rock Junior College, Little Rock University, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. For more information on giving, contact Jan Davis, director of gift planning for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association, at 501.683.7208 or at jpdavis@ualr.edu.

University honors Heritage Society members

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 21:38:28 +0000

The future of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock is near to Mary Moore’s heart. “I am hard of hearing, so I have always felt that the university’s audiology and speech pathology department’s Speech and Hearing Clinic offers a broader spectrum of services available than other places,” Moore said. Moore has been a client of the clinic, which recommends her hearing aides and provides other services, for years. She also serves on the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology Development Council. So when the opportunity arose to meet ��Vlog��ýLR’s new chancellor, Dr. Andrew Rogerson, she didn’t hesitate to join 30 other members of the university’s Heritage Society to have “Coffee with the Chancellor” Sept. 20 at the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center. The event also recognized new members who joined the Heritage Society in the past year, including Elaine Eubank and Alfred Williams, Bill Ballard, and Loris Fullerton.

Chancellor Andrew Rogerson (left) presents a plaque to honor new Heritage Society members Elaine Eubank (middle) and Alfred Williams (right).

People can become a member of the Heritage Society by naming ��Vlog��ýLR in a will or trust, by designating the university as a life insurance or retirement plan beneficiary, or by creating some other type of planned gift. Only a statement of intent is required to participate in the Heritage Society. The society, formed in the 1990s, has had about 170 members through the years, who together contributed about $7 million to enrich the lives of future students and help the community. Almost $14 million more is planned, according to Jan Davis, director of gift planning. “Thank you for being a part of our Heritage Society,” Davis said told those who gathered for the event. “This is a very special group of people, and we are thankful for your support. We are thrilled we can celebrate you today and introduce you to our new chancellor.” The event represented the first chance for many Heritage Society members to meet Rogerson and his wife, Janessa. Rogerson answered questions on topics that ranged from ��Vlog��ýLR’s recent groundbreaking at the site of the future eStem Public Charter Schools high school on campus to the possibility of reducing the number of programs at ��Vlog��ýLR, to enhanced opportunities for the university to partner with nonprofit organizations in central Arkansas. “One of the reasons Janessa and I chose this university is because this is the only campus that spent half of the interview with the community and its leaders,” Rogerson said. “This showed a real willingness to make this university a part of the community. It’s my job, with anyone who wants to help in this room, to make this university a place where people want to be.” After spending her career working at several nonprofit organizations in central Arkansas, Moore, now a retiree, splits her time between being an Uber driver, a pet sitter, and an Airbnb host. Moore is always on the lookout for new things to do, and she is very interested in the chancellor’s ideas on expanding educational classes for seniors and providing more one-semester “signature experience” opportunities for ��Vlog��ýLR students.

Heritage Society member Mary Cantrell and Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement, attend “Coffee with the Chancellor”.

“We need to get our students involved in the community, learning about services offered in the community,” Moore said. “We need to do a lot of what the chancellor recommended. I am big on volunteerism, and I think every student should get involved in some degree and learn about civic organizations.” Another Heritage Society member, Dr. C. Earl Ramsey, director emeritus of the Donaghey Scholars Program who worked at the university for more than 40 years, was excited to meet a new chancellor with such extensive academic experience. “This event was terrific,” Ramsey said. “I think Dr. Rogerson has a chance to be one of our best chancellors ever. He is a real academic as well as being an administrator. He has a great breadth of experience and has published 130 academic articles.” University staff members want to see the ranks of the Heritage Society grow. Each gift is appreciated regardless of size, said Davis, who encourages people to let the university know when they include ��Vlog��ýLR in their estate plans. For more information about how to become a member of the Heritage Society, contact Davis at 501-569-8738 or jpdavis@ualr.edu. In the upper right photo, Chancellor Andrew Rogerson (right) talks to Dr. Mary Good (left) during the “Coffee with the Chancellor” event for ��Vlog��ýLR Heritage Society members. Photos by Danielle Hendrix.

Heritage Society to have “Coffee with the Chancellor” Sept. 20

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 17:50:57 +0000

Friends of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock who have included the university in their estate planning can attend a special “Coffee with the Chancellor” event on Tuesday, Sept. 20, to meet the university’s new chancellor, Dr. Andrew Rogerson. The event will be held at 9 a.m. in the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center’s Engel Hall. “Coffee with the Chancellor” is a special event to recognize Heritage Society members — alumni and friends who made provisions in their estate plans for gifts to the university. People can become a member of the Heritage Society by naming ��Vlog��ýLR in a will or trust, by designating the university as a life insurance or retirement plan beneficiary, or by creating some other type of planned gift. Only a statement of intent is required to participate in the Heritage Society. The society, formed in the 1990s, has had about 170 members over the years, who together contributed about $7 million to enrich the lives of future students and help the community. Almost $14 million more is planned, according to Jan Davis, director of gift planning. University staff members want to see the ranks of the Heritage Society grow. Each gift is appreciated regardless of size, said Davis, who encourages people to let the university know when they include ��Vlog��ýLR in their planned giving. “These types of legacy gifts are very special, and we appreciate the opportunity to thank our donors in person for their generous gifts,” Davis said. “Each and every gift makes an important impact on the future of the university, providing funds for scholarships, campus improvements, and new educational opportunities for our students.” If you have included ��Vlog��ýLR in your estate planning and would like to attend the event, or would like more information about how to become a member of the Heritage Society, contact Davis at 501-569-8738 or jpdavis@ualr.edu.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Taste of Little Rock to honor Alfred Williams and Elaine Eubank

����Vlog��ý Little Rock alumni keep giving back to the university

University honors Heritage Society members

Heritage Society to have “Coffee with the Chancellor” Sept. 20

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumni keep giving back to the university